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The draft is just days away and things are getting interesting for the Las Vegas Raiders. As the draft gets closer, it’s looking like some of the top quarterbacks could start falling down the draft board. Most notably, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud has fallen victim to some negative buzz.
The Houston Texans appeared set to draft Stroud at No. 2 but there’s now momentum building that they will draft a defensive player. According to NFL Network’s Peter Schrager, there’s buzz that the Indianapolis Colts could take Will Levis at No. 4 regardless of who is on the board. They are the only other team picking before the Raiders that are clearly in need of a quarterback.
If the Texans and Colts pass on Stroud, Las Vegas may be able to land him at No. 7 without having to trade up. It would be a good fit as he has said he’d like to play with Davante Adams and now he’s becoming friendly with star defensive end Maxx Crosby. At the recent boxing match between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, Crosby and Stroud posed for a picture together.
While Crosby likely isn’t aware of what the Raiders’ draft plans are, it’s notable that he was seen hanging out with the young quarterback.
Will Raiders Go After Stroud?
Once the Carolina Panthers traded up for the No. 1 pick, it appeared that any dream of the Raiders landing Stroud was dead. He was originally the favorite to get selected by the Panthers but it now looks like Alabama’s Bryce Young will be the top pick. However, the Texans may have been much more interested in Young than Stroud. New head coach DeMeco Ryans has a defensive background but doesn’t have a lot of playmakers on his defense right now. He may want to add an elite defensive prospect like Will Anderson than reach for a quarterback that he doesn’t love.
That would open up the door for the Raiders to get Stroud without having to give up too much. Las Vegas may be the only team in the top seven that really likes him right now. That could make a trade up to No. 3 with the Arizona Cardinals much less expensive. They could also take a risk and wait to see if Stroud drops to seven. The Raiders are in a good position because they don’t need a quarterback right away but would love to have a young one to develop. If recent rumors are to be believed, the Raiders have plenty of options heading into the draft.
Insider Doesn’t Expect Raiders to Take Risk
While the Raiders have the ability to take some big swings this year, they also have many needs that need to be filled. They do need a quarterback of the future but they also need players who can play right away. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer isn’t expecting any big surprises from the Raiders on draft day.
“The Raiders are loaded with picks, and that gives them leeway to gamble a little (no pun intended),” Breer wrote. “I just don’t see it happening at No. 7. Most teams expect Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler to … try to hit one straight and true here. Likewise, I’d expect a strong program fit there.”
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